What Makes You Different.
by heartbreaker1
Summary: Two boys who were dumped so many times, finally decided to tell their true feeling to the girl that they admired for a long time in their own way meanwhile a boy who the heartthrob in his school was still searching what is the meaning of love.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I do not own Slam Dunk and the songs.  
  
What Makes You Different  
  
Summary: Two boys who were dumped so many times, finally decided to tell their true feeling to the girl that they admired for a long time in their own way meanwhile a boy who the heartthrob in his school was still searching what is the meaning of love. This fic was dedicated to all girls, non-yaoi SD pairings supporters, and BSB fans around the world.  
  
A/N: I'm the author of this story but Zackire is the editor. So, I dedicated this fic to her…lol.. ^_~.  
  
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"Sorry, Hanamichi. The person whom I like is Oda of the basketball team."  
  
"AAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!"  
  
"RRRRRIIIIIIINNNNGGGG!!!"  
  
He blinked and saw a shape of heart shattered into pieces at the ceiling of his room. His heart. His heart was broken when the girl who dumped him for the fiftieth rejection had chosen the ace basketball player of his junior high school as her boyfriend.  
  
"RRRRRIIIIINNNGGG!!!"  
  
He looked at the alarm clock beside his pillow with drowsy eyes. He reached out his hand to unlock the clock. "7.35 a.m. already. Saturday morning," Then he heaved a sigh of relief. He used to throw away the clock as it ruined his insatiable sweet dreams for many times but this time it had saved him from the nightmare.  
  
"Haruko-san…" he murmured under his breath and started thinking about sweet dream he had before.  
  
" Ganbatte, Sakuragi-kun. Your improvement is progressing day after day," a little voice came from a sweet girl beside him.  
  
"Nyahahahahahaha.. ore wa tensai Sakuragi Hanamichi, Haruko-san. Nyahahahaha," he laughed insanely, a trademark for self-proclaimed genius of basketball.  
  
" Soyo, Sakuragi-kun. Hhmmm, you worked hard. You should deserved something," she retorted. A second later, she continued, " I got an idea. Well, I will make sandwiches for your breakfast before training tomorrow. Is that enough, Sakuragi-kun?"  
  
"Hah? Nyahahaha.. I will eat anything that you cooked by your hand, Haruko- san. Demo, you should not…."  
  
Wait a minute.  
  
SANDWICHES? BREAKFAST? TRAINING? ARRGHHH!!!  
  
He looked his alarm clock again. 7.50 a.m. She promised to bring sandwiches for his breakfast fifteen minutes earlier before training that started 8.15 o'clock. He ought to be there at 8.00 a.m. He had only ten minutes to prepare himself.  
  
"Kuso!! I'm late!!!" he jumped out from his bed and rushed to the bathroom  
  
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" You're not being honest to me. My friend who is studying here told me that you had a crush on one of your classmates. Let's break up," the girl in front him said firmly, adamant in her decision.  
  
"Na..nii?!!" he felt like his leg bones was taken from its place when he heard the words from the girl who dumped him just now. "Kuso… the tenth rejection for a year," he murmured to himself. Limply, he kneeled down and begged the girl. " Please listen to me first,"  
  
"There's no need to talk anymore. It's all over, Miyagi-kun,"  
  
"NNOOO!!!"  
  
"RRIIINNNGGG!!!!"  
  
He opened his eyes. Oh, just a dream. "What a bad dream," he commented and looked a clock on the table beside his bed. "7.50 a.m." He groaned as he slowly woke up from his lovely bed and sit on the couch. He looked the table again, searching for something, not the clock but a photo that has been placed beside the clock.  
  
"Aya-chan," he smiled. " I didn't meet you in my dream last night but I will see you in front of me, 25 minutes more," he were beaming from ear to ear when he took his towel to have bath.  
  
****************************************************************************    
  
He started cycling his bicycle. His wristwatch showed it's already 7.50 a.m. He planned to go earlier than anyone so he could have a practice without any annoyance especially the irritated three girls who called themselves as Rukawa Shinetai. Not to forget to mention, red-haired do aho and the younger sister of his captain…hhmm….'What's her name? Huh… I forgot..' . He knew the girl infatuation for him. It was obviously.  
  
" She doesn't know about me except my skills in basketball. Nothing. Hn.. she's not my type," He pondered for a while. Everybody thought he is not a human at all. Not have a 'romantic bone' in his body, they said.  
  
"Am I?" They knew nothing about him. Nobody knew him well like her did. "Ayako-san," he closed his eyes and started dreaming away.  
  
BBBAANNGGG!!!!  
  
"Hey, you boy! What are you doing? Sleeping?!! Wake up from your slumber! Watch out when you are on the road!" the driver hollered from his Ferrari car and zoomed away.  
  
"Yare yare. Half of my expenses will be gone to pay this damaged bicycle," he sighed and continued his way to basketball gym of Shohoku High School.  
  
**************************************************************************** *  
  
"How's this…"  
  
"It's delicious, Haruko-san, the most delicious sandwiches I ever had in my life," chibi Hanamichi intruded before Haruko finished her words and he masticated again the sandwiches in his mouth. She smirked. Sakuragi always say nice things when she asked his opinion. She never heard Sakuragi had bad-mouthed before her.  
  
The sound of a slam-dunk reverberated against the gym walls. The slam-dunk that Rukawa made had attracted both of them who stood outside the court.  
  
"Sugoi, Rukawa-kun," she said as she amazed by Rukawa's manoeuvres.  
  
"He just showed off again," Hanamichi mumbled as he leaned against the gym's wall. It's 8.05 in the morning. There were only three students in the gym right now, Haruko, the kitsune and himself.  
  
"Ano.. Rukawa-kun,"  
  
Rukawa stopped and looked at her. " Ano.. would you like to have one?" she took a slice of sandwiches from the Tupperware which was in front of Hanamichi and offered it to Rukawa. 'Did he see my blushed face? Oh my…. I don't know how to cover my face…' she thought in her mind.  
  
Rukawa just shook his head and started dribbling the ball into the next court. Haruko was taken aback in embarrassment. She could feel her face was getting red than before.  
  
" Teme Kitsune!! How dare you being rude to beautiful girl like Haruko??!! Kono yaro!" Hanamichi yelled as he angered Rukawa's attitude to Haruko.  
  
"Don't mind, Sakuragi-kun. It's just small matter. You can finish it by yourself, right?" she persuaded as she tried to calm Hanamichi down. He hissed before he gazed at Haruko.  
  
"Of course I will, Haruko-san," he chuckled. She smiled but her heart shed tears. 'Rukawa-kun, why you are so cold,' she brooded over what Rukawa had done just now.  
  
SWOOSH!!  
  
Rukawa did a slam-dunk again. He breathed hard. He knew the girl must been in despair as he declined her offered. He also knew what will be happen if he took the sandwich. The do'aho must envy him. 'Akagi-san, he likes you. Why you are so silly not realized it?'  
  
As he did 3-point shoot, he heard a gym's door was opened. "Ohayo, minna- san," shouted a girl's voice. 'Ayako-san….' Rukawa looked a direction that the voice came from.  
  
"It's seemed you all been here earlier than us," Ayako giggled.  
  
"Of course, Ayako-san. The tensai will come earlier to practice than anyone. Nyahahahaha.." Hanamichi boasted with arms akimbo.  
  
"Do'aho,"  
  
"Teme kitsune!!!"    
  
As usual, a bickering between Rukawa and Sakuragi greeted other players who entered the gym.  
  
Wham! Wham!  
  
"Itai,.. Gori!"  
  
"Captain…"  
  
"Baka yarou… it's not time to fool around anymore. We got the ticket to Inter High. It's only one month to go. We should practice hard not to fight," Akagi Takenori being a captain was strict to his playmates.  
  
After that, Shohoku Basketball Team practiced as usual. However they worked harder than they ever had. This is first time Shohoku got higher achievement in its history; they would be in Inter High Tournament. Now all of them are in full-spirit. They targeted to be number one basketball team in Japan.  
  
  
  
To be continued…  
  
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Author's note: This is my first fic but don't be gentle to me..lol… I need your honest comments, so please review after you read the chapter. 


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: It's just a fanfiction because I know I wouldn't have it. So give me a chance to write this fic. ^_~  
  
Special thanks to **Hana-chan**: don't worry, there's no yaoi pairings in my fic. Never. **Zackire-chan**: sob sob sob.. thanks a lot for your supports.. _big hug for you_. **Moonwalker**: thank you for reviewing my first fic. Enjoy, minna-san!  
  
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"Nice, Ryota," 

"Aya-chan," a blushed-face chibi Ryota signalled 'V' towards Ayako as he did lay-up shoot successfully. 

"Hn… that cheeky boy," Ayako responded slowly, wondering if somebody else could hear her voice. She already knew that Miyagi Ryota who also her classmates had a crush on her. He always said that she is the most beautiful woman he ever seen in everywhere or whenever he met her. All of Shohoku basketball players knew that thing. 'He's just joking. I shouldn't anticipate about his words,' she comforted herself and smiled secretly. 'By the way, he looks cute when he blushed. Kawaii…' 

Rukawa wiped his sweat away with his clothes and he glanced at Ayako. 'She still gazing at Miyagi-sempai,' he snorted. 'I have my own aim, Ayako-san. I'll be the best high school basketball player in Japan. I'll prove it to you that I'm better than him and everyone. No one could beat me anymore.'  
When he got the ball, he dribbled it slowly, waiting for the time to attack. At last, he eluded three players to jump and did lay up shot that perfectly went in the net. 

'Sugoi….' Everybody stunned.  
"RUKAWA…. RUKAWA… L-O-V-E- WE.... RUKAWA" cried the annoying three girls joyfully.  
"Huh… he looks spunky today. It's seemed that he got something strong inside him to drive him. Now, he really like a different man," Mitsui remarked at Rukawa's great display. The rest of them nodded.  
'Kuso… I hate him,' Hanamichi mumbled with hatred in his heart. His eyes were fiery, full of anger. 'I'll show you how a tensai are supposed to be,' 

  
"Rukawa-kun…" Haruko uttered the super rookie's name in misery, slowly. 'He doesn't think of anything else except basketball. How could I be in his heart when his eyes didn't even look at me?' She tried to endure her tears from raining down her cheeks. She did not any linger any longer to see the rest of it. Matsui and Fuji, her best friends had not accompanied her today because they had their personal matters to solve. Now, she was alone. 

"Nan da yo, Haruko-chan. You don't want to see them until they had finished the practice?" Youhei asked, bewildered with the girl's mood. She turned back and shook her heard. Then, she walked away.  
"Nani, Youhei?" another gundam asked, puzzled.  
"Nothing," Youhei answered, simple. 'Something had happened just now. Should I tell Hanamichi?' Youhei pondered for a while. 

In another side, Haruko walked along streets without any plans. Her mind was set to Rukawa's image and his attitude towards her from the first time she encountered him. She sighed. Coincidentally, her eyes contacted to the poster of BackStreet Boys that has been stuck to the wall. BACKSTREET BOYS, her favourite artist will come to Japan and holding their concert in Tokyo for the next month. 

'Yosh', she smiled faintly. This is an opportunity for her to see BSB in front of her eyes. 'Oh my Brian, Kevin, Nick, A.J and Howie D….' 

"BACKSTREET BOYS'S CONCERT!!! I SHOULDN'T FORGO THIS GOLDEN CHANCE!" a young lady shouted happily behind Haruko's back, disturbing her fantasies with her favourite boy band. The lady perhaps aged early twentieth, dragging a man beside her to approach the poster in order to look clearly and find out for more details about the show.  
"Nani? You admired them more than me?! How could you?" the man, probably her boyfriend, protested. A frustration could be notice from his face.  
"Haahaha… are you jealous? Ne, don't get me wrong. I'm just their fan. They wouldn't know me. I'm just admiring them as my favourite artist but the one who can give me happiness, feel protected and make me comfortable is only you, honey," the lady persuaded her boyfriend seductively.  
"So ka... Hmm..when Britney Spears come to Japan soon, I'll be the first one who buy her ticket concert, okay, darling?"  
"You tried to get me jealous, huh? I don't mind. I will accompany you. You'll be the first, I'll be the second one but right now, you must follow me to BSB's concert. Deal, honey?"  
"Deal, my darling. I'll be the one, who will make your sorrow undone. I'll be the light, when you feel like there's nowhere to run, I'll be the one," the man answered and gave his girlfriend a peck on her cheek before they left the place, hand in hand. 

"Romantic couple. I envy them," Haruko muttered slowly and she looked on the couple until they disappeared from her sight. "Admire…" she repeated the word several times. The word reminded her of… Rukawa. She tried to imagine Rukawa and her as a loving couple but it seemed impossible. The illusion became blurry. "Am I? Am I just admiring him for his skills and good-looking face? Other than that, I don't know anything else about him. I just admired him from distance like my favourite artist, BSB," 

_"I'm just their fan. They wouldn't know me. I'm just admiring them as my favourite artist but the one who can give me happiness, protective and make me comfortable is only you, honey," _

'So ka… if the lady words is true…the one who can make me happy, feel protected and comfortable is….'  
She desisted from walking and her heart began to beat furiously. "He…" she titled her head and looked up the sky, recalling the memories she had been through together with him. 

*************************************************************************************************************************** 

5.00 in the evening. Back into the court   
  
"Nyahahahahaha.. No one can beat the tensai…. nyahahahaha..," the chibi self-proclaimed genius laughed after he did the beautiful formed slam dunk. Everyone sweatdropped.  
"Did you see that Haruko-san? Hah?" he stopped laughing when he couldn't see Haruko around. "Oi Youhei!, where was Haruko?" he asked to his gundam.  
"She was gone three hours ago. Didn't you realize it?"  
Hanamichi stunned. 'Three hours? Where has Haruko-san gone?' he wondered. 

BAM! 

Chibi Hanamichi fall down on the ground when the ball was hit his head.  
"Don't be lazy, do'aho," somebody warned him behind his back and he ran away, dribbling the ball.  
"Ko-ra Kitsune!!! Who do you think you are?!"  
  
"Maa… maa, Hanamichi," Ryota patted Hanamichi's shoulder, trying to calm the redhead down. "Don't deal with a little thing. For the time being, we have to practice hard to challenge other teams at national level in the Inter High,"  
"Hn…" Hanamichi hissed and he joined the other to continue his practice before giving death glare to Rukawa but his life-time rival just ignored him as usual.  
"Good job, Ryota," a girl praised Ryota's action, making he become a chibi and blushed when he recognized the voice.  
"Aya-chan, hehehehehe," he grinned like a fool as he turned back to face her but she already left.  
"Wait, Aya-chan," he called the manageress of the team, his Aya-chan.  
"Nani, Ryota?"  
"Err.. did I tell you that you're beautiful today?" 

WHACK! 

"Aya-chan, you don't love me anymore?" Ryota cried in pain, not because Ayako hit him with her dangerous fan at his head but his heart.  
"Go to practice now," she ordered.  
"Hai… hai," he obeyed and joined the team.  
  
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6.00 in the evening. 

"Sumi masen, Anzai-sensei,"  
"Nani, Ayako?" the white-haired and fat old man replied.  
"My mother wanted me to take the clothes that she had ordered from a tailor. The tailor's shop opened until 7.00 pm. So I must be there before that time. Can I leave the gym right now?" she enquired politely to their coach.  
"I understand. Demo, I have planned something. All of you worked hard and played well, so I decided to treat all of you tonight after the practice," he explained.  
"Hah? Oyaji, you want to treat us tonight?" Hanamichi intruded and cupped the old man's chin repeatedly. 

WHACK!! 

"Itai.. Ayako-san," the readhead complained.  
"Serves you right, Sakuragi Hanamichi," she responded as her hand on her hips.  
"Sakuragi, come back to the court. The game had not finished yet," roared the gorilla, Akagi, from the middle of the court.  
"Gori…" Hanamichi mumbled and he walked away from the manageress and the coach. 

"So ka... sensei, where are the place that you planned to?" she asked after the redhead entered the court.  
"Hmmm... Do you know The Nagareboshi's Club?"  
"It's..it's an exclusive club, sensei," Ayako shocked.  
"Hai, well, you deserved it, hohohoho…." He sip the tea before he continued again, "Hmmm.. Ayako.."  
"Sensei?"  
"We'll go there at 8.00 pm. If you have time, join us too," he smiled. Ayako nodded.  
"I'll try, sensei, demo, I can't promise you," she said to the couch before she took her black leather beg on the bench.  
"Never mind, Ayako," he said as he saw the girl began to walk out from the gym.  
  
*************************************************************************************************************************** 

7.00 in the evening. 

"Minna-san, please assemble now here…" Akagi who was stood beside Anzai Sensei give an order to his playmates.  
"Hai," All of the freshmen stop mopping the floor while the others stop practising. They gathered in front of their captain and the couch, waiting for another order or an announcement from both of them whom Shohoku basketball's members respect the most. _(A/N: except you-know-who)_  
"Minna, since all of you had worked hard, I'll treat you tonight.." Anzai Sensei announced.  
"Yoshh.." they replied in unison.  
"Hohohoho… demo, whoever must be at home before 8.00 pm tonight may go home now. I don't want your parents getting worried about you," Anzai-sensei added, gazing his student's face one by one.  
Since everybody could go, they dashed to the locker room to have bath and changed their clothes. Now, just Anzai-sensei and Sakuragi Gundam are left in the gym. 

"Hanamichi could have free dinner tonight," Takamiya said in jealousy tone. Three guys nodded.  
"You're Sakuragi's friends, right?" Anzai-sensei asked them. They gaped; the state 'we have a chance' was in their mind.  
"I saw you accompanying him every practice and encouraged him. You can go too if you want," he continued.  
"Yosh…." Four of them leaped happily like kids. 

Meanwhile, in the locker room. 

"Did you see Aya-chan? I wondered where she had gone?" Ryota asked to his playmates but no one knew except the redhead one.  
"She asked Oyaji to leave early because she have something to help her mother," Hanamichi answered.  
"I see. Hmm, the dinner tonight is nothing without Aya-chan. I have no mood to go," Ryota sat down on the bench, sadly.  
"Haruko-san had gone too. Let me be with you," Hanamichi said.  
"What's wrong with you guys. It's not everyday sensei wanted to treat us. Don't disappoint him," Mitsui frowned with displeasure when he heard the conversation.  
"Yeah, that's right, Mitsui-kun. Lets make sensei happy tonight. Right, Akagi?" Kogure added and looked at his captain. Akagi just gave a displeased look at the boys as sign 'how-dare-you-said-like-that' made Ryota and Hanamichi didn't make nonsense anymore.  
  
'I wish you come, Ayako-san,' Rukawa whispered to himself before he walked out from the locker room.  
Then, all of them including Sakuragi Gundam went to the club by bus. Chatting, laughing and bickering could be heard from the bus but the fox-eyed boy just looked out of the window, praying that his dreams became true before he fallen asleep.  
  
to be continued.  
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A/N: "_I'll be the one, who will make your sorrow undone. I'll be the light, when you feel like there's nowhere to run, I'll be the one_" from BackStreet Boy's song, **THE ONE**. I LUV THE SONG!!!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: It's just a fanfiction because I know I wouldn't have it.

* * *

A brown-haired young lady wore sleeveless red top and blue jeans walked slowly along the street. Ayako stared the familiar figure that was not far from her. 

"Haruko-chan?"

"Sempai…."

"What's wrong with you.. hmm.. let me see. You're thinking about Rukawa again?" Ayako chuckled. She suspected a blushed face and heart-shaped in her eyes but nothing happened. No feeling was showed through Haruko's face when she mentioned Rukawa's name.

"Haruko-chan…nande?" she tried to reveal her feeling. "Tell me,"

"I.. I don't know had happened but now, I realised that I'm just admiring Rukawa for his features and skills. I don't know anything else about him. That is not what we called love, isn't that right sempai?" she asked, really need to hear her sempai's opinion.

"At last you know about it. Love is something we can't see but we feel it from inside, our heart, precisely. We don't love somebody just because he has good-looks or anything else special but we love him because we feel something inside him that make us happy and comfortable when we are around him," Ayako explained being the elder one and more experience in love matters.

"I don't feel that thing when I saw him,"

"I see… you're always with Sakuragi. How about him?" Ayako tried to see Haruko's reaction and she blushed.

"Nani? I just assumed him as my best friend, demo…."

"Demo?"

"Demo, he has something within him. When I'm beside Sakuragi, I feel happy, protected and comfortable," she continued, honestly from her heart. "That makes me confused,"

'Confused? You had confessed that you got the feeling, in other side, he just hope to be loved by you in return, Haruko,' Ayako murmured to herself.

"Ne, sempai. How about you and Miyagi-sempai?"

"Hah? Hahahaha… we are just friends, Haruko-chan. Not more than that," she replied hesitantly.

"Honto ni? I could see that he is really into you, sempai. I don't think he's just fooling around. I can bet he is serious for everything he said about you,"

"C'mon. Don't talk anymore about that. You don't want to go home right now, Haruko-chan?"

"Iie. I just want to be here for a while,"

"That's dangerous for a lady. I remember now. Anzai-sensei was going to treat them tonight at a club. Do you want to follow me there?"

"Great! I can go home with onii-chan,"

"Suit yourself, let's go,"

* * *

"Do'aho,"

"Teme Rukawa!"

"Urusai! Both of you just humiliated Shohoku and Anzai-sensei. Just eat and keep quite," Akagi snapped that made the kitsune and red-haired monkey silent.

"I never thought the owner of this club is sensei's friend. No wonder he could bring us along here," Yasuda started the topic to change the mood.

"Yeah, but oyaji could get the VIP class and we just sit with the ordinary people," the redhead mumbled.

"Nani? Who do you think you are saying like that," Mitsui growled.

"Ore wa tensai… Sa.."

All hail Akagi's mighty fist…

"Baka," Akagi retorted.

"Hi, minna-san. Welcome to The Nagareboshi's Club. Attention to our new customers, we proud to tell that our club prepared something special here, karaoke's dedication. Anybody who wants to dedicate the song to their beloved one must sing on the stage by himself or herself, free of charge,"

"You just need the nerves to go on the stage and for someone who don't have girlfriend or boyfriend, this is the time you express your feeling. All of us will wish the person will return your love. Tonight, we have Megumi-san to entertain all of you with her song. Megumi-san, the stage is yours,"

"Thank you very much for, DJ. I dedicate this song to my husband, Haido and I just want to tell you that I love you… because you loved me. The song is 'Because You Loved Me' by Celine Dion," the woman started singing emotionally, just for her husband_ (A/N: just imagine a handsome man like Hyde L'Arcenciel.. hahaha… ) _who sat at the corner of the club. Everybody enjoyed the show. Some of couple danced romantically.

"Hanamichi, let's try," Ryota whispered into Hanamichi's right ear.

"Honto ni, Ryochin?" Ryota nodded.

"Last night I dreamed I was heartbroken again. I pray that I don't have a nightmare again,"

"Me too. It haunted me every night. Sometimes, I wished the guy in my dream isn't me,"

"Aya-chan is not here. I don't feel embarassed to sing there. You?" Hanamichi shook his head.

"Let's go." Both of them sat up and went to the DJ.

"A bunch of trouble makers. What the hell are they doing right now?" Akagi muttered, puzzled.

"It looks like they wanted to sing like the woman. Are they nuts?" Mitsui sneered.

Everybody shrugged. After talking for a minute, Ryota and Hanamichi were affirmed to go on the stage after the woman went down. In the right time Ryota and Hanamichi on the stage, two girlish figures entered the club.

"Ryota and Sakuragi…. . What on the earth they're doing right now?" a curly black-haired girl wondered.

"I think they're going to sing, Ayako-sempai," another one, a brown-haired girl replied.

"I can't find them. Let sit there," Ayako suggested and her index finger pointed empty seats somewhere.

Haruko nodded and followed the elder one behind.

"We dedicate this song to the girls that we loved so much. Aya-chan, everything I said about you is true although you thought that I'm just kidding. Give me a chance and I'll prove all my love to you. Right, Hanamichi?" Ryota poked Hanamichi, who was nervous at that time, in his ribs.

"Yeah. That's right, Ryochin, Hmm, I dedicate the song that we'll sing soon to the girl whom I dreamed for the first day we met. Haruko-san, I can't express my true feeling towards you because I know you just regarded me as your friend. By the way, I hope my voice could reach and touch your heart. Although both of you are not here, we felt relief if the feeling burden inside us was revealed. So, Ryochin?"

"Music please," Ryota requested while adjusted the microphone stand before him.

At a corner of the club.

"Baka Sakuragi. How dare he mentioned Haruko's name in the public," Akagi hissed.

" Maa maa, Akagi-kun. Let them released their feeling. Give them a chance once. I don't think everybody here knows your imotou," Kogure coaxed his best friend and grinned.

"I don't doubt Miyagi's singing, but that baka?" Mitsui sneered and giggled, imagining the red-haired monkey singing on the stage.

"Do'aho," Rukawa rejoined.

"It showtime," Noma shouted excitedly along with his gundai.

"Err… Haruko-chan, am I dreaming?" Ayako asked in trembling voice, still not believing what Ryota said.

"Ano… no.. but I'm feeling like we're in wonderland," Haruko retorted in surprised.

"They're going to sing for us. Hmm.. the music has been played," Ayako's heart started pounding rapidly.

**Ryota:**

You don't run with the crowd

You go your own way

_You are different than the other 10 girls who dumped me_

You don't play after dark

_You are a girl who have a pride and ego_

You light up my day

_Could you see that you are my inspiration in everything I've done_

Got your own kind of style that sets you apart

Baby that's why you captured my heart

_I'm falling in love with you since the first day we met, Aya-chan_

**Hanamichi:**

I know sometimes you feel like you don't fit in

And this world doesn't know what you have within

_You are so sweet, gorgeous and innocent either in your words or heart_

When I look at you I see something rare

When the first time we met, I'm had already fallen into you

A rose that can grow anywhere

And there's no one I know that I can compare

_There are 50 girls who dumped me before but none of them are like you, Haruko-san_

**Ryota and Hanamichi:**

What's makes you different, makes you beautiful

What's there inside you, shine through to me

In your eyes I see all the love that I ever need

(You're all that I need, oh girl)

What's makes you different, makes you beautiful to me

Ayako: 'Everybody said that I'm boyish even my family but you are the one who makes me feel like a special girl, Ryota,'

Haruko: 'Everybody said that I'm just a little girl who didn't know anything but you are the one who really cherish what I've done, Sakuragi-kun,'

**Ryota:**

You've got something so real you touched me so deep

_You always encouraged me when I'm depressed on the court_

Say the material things don't matter to me

_We don't need money to show how deeper or higher our love to each other_

So come as you are, you got nothing to prove

_I don't care what people say about you_

You want me with all that you do

And I wanna take this chance to say to you

_I just wanna whisper this words to your ear, 'aishiteru, Aya-chan'_

**Ryota and Hamamichi:**

What's makes you different, makes you beautiful

What's there inside you, shine through to me

In your eyes I see all the love that I ever need

(You're all that I need, oh girl)

What's makes you different, makes you beautiful…..

Ayako: 'Nobody had praised me that I'm beautiful like you said, Ryota'

Haruko: 'Nobody told me that I'm beautiful like the way you do, Sakuragi-kun'

**Hanamichi:**

You don't know how you touched my life

_You're my inspiration, the one who introduced basketball to me_

Always so many ways that I can't describe

_From the beginning you showed me everything, and it changed my life_

You taught me what love is supposed to be

_Not only skills of basketball, but you also kept me drowning in your love_

You saw a little thing that makes you beautiful to me (so beautiful)

_There's no word to describe how lovely you are, Haruko-san_

**Ryota and Hanamichi:**

What's makes you, what's makes you different, makes you beautiful

What's there inside you, shine through to me

In your eyes I see all the love that I ever need

(You're all that I need, oh girl)

What's makes you different, makes you beautiful to me

Ayako: 'He really loves me. I? How could I not admit it to him?'

Haruko: 'He really likes me. I? How could I not realize it from the beginning?'

**Ryota and Hanamichi:**

Everything in you is (so) beautiful

Loving you shine right through me

Everything in you is beautiful

Oh, you're beautiful to me.

Ayako: 'Ryota-kun….'

Haruko: 'Sakuragi-kun…'

Tears welled in their eyes. They felt a wave of deep emotion, the profound affection, and gratitude bottled-up in them all through the years that they shared together with the boys.

Ayako pulled out two pieces of tissue from her leather handbag to wipe a tear that has trickled from the corner of her eyes.

"Haruko-chan…"  
Haruko turned left and saw Ayako handed a piece of tissue to her. She nodded as a sign of appreciation and took it from her sempai.

Ayako sat up from her seat and made her way to somewhere.

"Sempai?"

Everyone in the club were clapping their hands and some of them whistling for their great performance but the Shohoku students there still gaping, not believing their eyes.

"Is that Sakuragi no baka that sang just now?" Mitsui's eyes widened.

"I have never known that Hanamichi could sing," Youhei added and another three gundai nodded in unison.

"He always surprised us either on the court or outside," Kogure remarked.

"Miyagi's voice is not bad, better than that baka," Akagi complained in low voice, reluctant to admit Hanamichi's ability like redhead's improvement on the court.

"…….." Rukawa had no words to say, like usual but his heart felt something uneasiness.

At the time, Ryota and Hanamichi went down from the stage.

"Hey, you two young man," a man called both of them. They turned to direction that the voice came from. They saw the DJ smiled secretly.

"You sang very well. I bet if the girls are here, they won't hesitate to accept you as their boyfriend after they heard your song,"

"Ryota?" someone had interrupted their conversation before the boys could react to what the DJ had said to them. The voice made chibi Ryota looked shocked and paled. "Aya….chan…."

"Sakuragi-kun," the very familiar sweet voice greeted Hanamichi. Chibi Hanamichi blushed, even darker red than he ever had. "Ha..Haruko-san,"

"I didn't know you are here," the boys said in unison, conceitedly.

"Can we have a talk?"

When they turned behind, they could see the DJ showed his thumbs up. They sat separately. Haruko with Hanamichi and Ryota with Ayako.

"Ha…Haruko-san, I…." Hanamichi was nervous when he was alone with his dream-girl.

"Don't need to talk, Sakuragi-kun,'

"Err.. Iie…, I need to talk to you that i.. i.. I like you… demo, if you don't feel the same, it's okay,.."

"Michi-kun…" paused. Haruko never called him like that.

"Actually, I felt the same as you," she blushed.

"Honto ni?' Slowly the girl nodded.

He fell down from his seat and pink heart-shaped appeared in his eyes. His sweet dreams had finally come true.

"Michi-kun, daijoubu ka?" she kneeled beside Hanamichi and poked his ribs,

"Daijubo, Haruko-chan. He had just become the happiest man in the world now. Hahahaaha.." Youhei said as he and other gundam approached the new couple.

"Aya-chan, I need to tell you something and it's is important,"

"Nani, Ryota?"

"Aishiteru, Aya-chan," At the moment, it's like the time was stopped . "I don't care if you dumped because I had been dumped be.. hmm…"

She kissed him on the cheek. WOW! He felt like he was in heaven and fell down with sharp-hearted eyes.

"Ryota, daijoubu ka?"

"It seems that our sophomore and freshmen are enjoying themselves.." Kogure exclaimed as he looked at their surrounding.

"Hn.. let them alone. We are in third year. Study is more important than other matters, of course, except basketball," Akagi cleared his throat.

"Nani Akagi? You are worried about you sister with that baka? Just admit it." The 3-pointer shooter smirked.

"Although Sakuragi seems a bad boy, at least I never see him beat the girls.. he has something within him. I believed he would protect your sister, not the otherwise, Akagi," Kogure, the peacemaker backed up the so-called baka.

"Hey, where's Rukawa?" Kakuta broke the silence.

Everybody looked around, even a shadow of Rukawa could not been seen in the place.

"Where is he?" everybody wondered where Rukawa Kaede was gone.

* * *

'It is what they call by jealousy? Iie… I hate to admit it, demo, that do'aho finally told his feeling to captain's sister and Miyagi-sempai had confessed his true love to Ayako-sempai. I…. I don't have any chance anymore. I knew Ayako-sempai since in junior high school but this is the first time I could see she's really caring about someone, a boy,'

He walked slowly along the street. He had witnessed everything that was happened in the club just now which made him felt lonely in the sudden. His team mates were around him, but there is something that he's missing.

'The do'aho and Akagi-san would be a loving couple. He is really the happiest man in the world right now. Ayako-san, I wish happiness for her if that she wanted. Maybe what I feel before towards Ayako-san just a love between brother and sister. If she treated me as her younger brother, it's fine for me but I won't forgive Miyagi-sempai if he hurt her feeling.'

Suddenly, something broke his train of thought and he turned left. He stopped when he reached a basketball court in a park. An old basketball was there, under the ring. Something from within persuaded him to pick up the ball and dribbled it.

**'What makes you different,'**

Basketball is different than other sports; it's a part of my life.

**'Makes you beautiful to me'**

Nobody knows how much I feel toward it. Only me.

He dribbled the ball and imagined Sendoh, Fujima and Maki tried to stop him. He eluded them and made a slam dunk. The ball goes in but he still held the ring tightly.

"Be number high school player in Japan first, Rukawa," Anzai-sensei's words echoed in his ears.

'I'll be, sensei' he promised as he let off his hand from the ring.

Maybe that time, he could gain what he aimed before and he would find a girl. A girl that he loved and could loved him in return, higher than mountain, deeper than sea.

"Someday, I'll be the one." Rukawa whispered to himself.

OWARI.

* * *

A/N : Wow… almost 4 years this fic is not being updated. Thanks for those who reviews my fic. I'm so busy with daily life.. well… a lot of assignments and projects to be done. At last the last chapter is updated. hehe… 


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